In Dr M's book, cheating is legal

YOURSAY 'Granting citizenship to illegal immigrants is legal? If so, under which Act does it come under? If there is no such enactment, how can it be legal?'

Dr M: Yes, Filipinos given citizenship, it was all legal

Onyourtoes: Former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad, we are not talking of those qualified for citizenship. So don't divert and deviate from the main point of contention here.

We are talking about giving blue ICs (identity cards) or citizenship to foreigners deliberately, fraudulently and covertly so as to change the demography of Sabah.

By the way, if those in Sabah could qualify for citizenship so easily, why are there so many others in Peninsular Malaysia, especially Indians and Chinese, who were persistently denied citizenship?

You listen, you must pay.

Malaysian Joe: How can Mahathir compare these Filipinos to the Chinese and Indians who fought for independence together with the Malays, contributed much to the nation's treasury in taxes, worked in the plantations and mines to make Malaysia the world's biggest producer in rubber/palm oil and tin?

If this was done in any other country - increasing a state's population by almost 100 percent in a decade - it would be considered treason.

Yeoh Chee Weng: The "one million unqualified people" supported Malaysia's first PM Tunku Abdul Rahman and the Alliance to gain independence. These "unqualified" people contributed their labour in the tin mines, rubber estates and their enterprise brought wealth and prosperity to the nation.

If the ex-PM equates them with the Filipino immigrants, then I challenge BN to reveal the taxes, direct and indirect, that have been collected from these Filipino immigrants in comparison to the taxes contributed by three generations of non-Malay citizens since Independence.

Clearwater: So, all illegal immigrants take note. If you can evade the authorities for 20 years, learn to speak Malay and be Muslim, you have the right to be a Malaysian citizen. Other stateless Malaysians, sorry, you obviously do not meet Mahathir's criteria.

FellowMalaysian: Mahathir's claim that everything was above board sounds rather scary to me. Is he telling us that there were a lot more of such citizenship-for-vote approvals and many of the recipients reside in Peninsular Malaysia as well?

And that this subterfuge has been in the practice albeit in a hush manner since 1994? Doesn't that explain the recent hike of 500,000 new voters in Selangor alone?

If it is legal and above board as attested by Mahathir, why is the government keeping it a national secret over the past 20 years?

God Bless Malaysia: Mahathir's quote: "Malaysia accepts foreigners to become citizens provided that they meet certain conditions. Many of them in Sabah were not there for a day or two, but 20 or 30 years and can speak Malay. They have the right to be citizens."

My mother was born in Malaysia in 1945. Despite our attempts, she has yet to get her citizenship. I assume her right to citizenship is secondary to our ‘VIP' refugees/foreign visitors.

FairMind: When Tunku gave out citizenship, it was with the consent of all the parties in the Alliance, the British and the Conference of Rulers. What was done in Sabah, and perhaps in Peninsular Malaysia, can never be lawful in a thousand years, especially when it was done clandestinely.

When citizenship was given to the Chinese and Indians, they contributed to the nation by helping to build this country. When citizenship was given to the immigrants, they mostly compete with the local bumiputeras for the limited handouts.

Dr M is being untruthful and criminal when he draws parallel between the two. People are not that stupid anymore. Who does he think we are, kids?

Geronimo: Granting citizenship to illegal immigrants is legal? If so, under which Act does it come under? If there is no such enactment passed by Parliament, then how can it be legal or lawful?

Mahathir, please, many of us were not born yesterday. You allowed our nation to be inundated by foreigners. As such, our sovereignty and security have been compromised. We therefore consider this to be an act of treason.

Do you know what they do to traitors? They hang them and bury them in unknown graves. By the way, what are the royalties doing? Don't you think so it's payback time for what he did to you all?

Cala: Mahathir cannot just make a sweeping statement just like that to justify an act that has far reaching consequences to the country. Has he ever obtained approval from the cabinet/parliament before he issued the directive?

What is exactly the policy of granting citizenship to foreign immigrants? What about the manipulation of the electoral rolls? The last issue itself would have landed him to jail.

Anonymous #46317055: This is a national crime of the highest order - treason. As PM at that time; you had the authority to make that "legal" just to shore up your political base.

The cat is out of the bag. It is time to pay for your crimes. My Malay brethren, your champion had sold your birthright to foreigners for votes to increase his power base and his family's wealth. What are you going to do about it?

Gandalf: So let me get this straight - for me to get a Malaysian citizenship, I have to go to the Philippines, come in as an illegal immigrant from the Philippines to Sabah, promise to vote for BN and wallah, all those years of struggling to get my citizenship, although I was born and residing in Malaysia for 50 years, is over.

Overnight, I am a Malaysian.

Not Here: Gandalf, you forgot the most important thing - you need to be Muslim, too. - Malaysiakini